#726 ... Friday Night, Courtenay Place

Police on patrol Courtenay Place, 10:30pm .. and the place is just warming up

#725 ... Massey University Graduates

Massey University's graduates assemble at Parliament for the march up Lambton Quay to the Town Hall ... a warm and sunny winter's day on Friday made even more colourful with the gowns and balloons ... CONGRATULATIONS

#724 ... Black Monolith

The BNZ Tower ... now renamed the State Insurance Tower .. "he who pays the piper gets the naming rights"

This building has a special place in Wellington, probably for all the wrong reasons .. as it became an icon of the troubled industrial times of the '60s and '70s

The BNZ Centre is the second tallest building in Wellington, New Zealand, after the Majestic Centre. It is located at 1 Willis Street. It was the tallest building in New Zealand from 1983 until 1986.
The Tower is constructed from structural steel, the exterior is black granite with matching dark tinted glass. There are 26 floors above ground, most with prime harbour views. The Tower is a good example of the structural expressionism modernist architecture style.
Once described as "Darth Vader's Pencil Box"[1][2], the building's starkness and height sets it apart from the surrounding, comparatively nondescript, buildings. The podium ground floor, which forms a plinth from which the tower rises, is set back from the street frontage. However, a sub-ground floor extends to the street boundaries, providing a large and airy below ground courtyard that then extends under Willis Street to provide pedestrian access to the basements of the buildings across the road.
Construction commenced in the late 1960's, however a labour demarcation dispute involving the Boilermakers Trade Union claiming the exclusive right of their members to weld the steel brought construction to a halt part way through construction.[citation needed] The dispute meant the building site lay idle for a decade and stopped the large scale use of structural steel in almost every major New Zealand building project that followed.[citation needed] Although other building projects were promptly redesigned to use re-enforced concrete or stopped all together, the skeleton of the half constructed BNZ tower sat and rusted while much of the rest of downtown Wellington was rebuilt. The complex was eventually completed in 1983 after much controversy.
The Tower is used for office space, but under the Tower there is a food court and on the ground floor an electronics store (Sony Style) along with a BNZ branch. After the BNZ moved its head office to Auckland in 1998, State Insurance purchased the naming rights to the building.
The underground level has a number of shops.

#723 ... Sign of the Times

The Back Bencher Pub across the road from The Beehive and Parliament ... a new take on the global economic crisis. Have a look at Backbencher for more details about this delightful pub with the large political puppets and memorabilia on display.

#722 ... Sonic Sounds

This was a male acapella group that entertained the delegates at the GOVIS09 conference. This is a conference about the world of ICT and Government, and these guys made harmonious sounds resonate throughout the Wellington Town Hall. As you can see they have much pleasure in singing and entertaining.

#721 ... Quiet Celebration

Well sorry about no postin yesterday .. but after two years I had a night off and enjoyed a great piece of NZ beef matched with a delightful red wine from the Hawkes Bay region ... YES my contributiuon to the Wellington Daily Photo achieved its 2 year anniversary ... AND the most important aspect is to recognise all the followers and amazing people from around the world who pass by and leave comments ... you all make my day .. after day ... after day !!! ciao Jeremy

#720 ... Water Colours

Motorway driving yesterday ... into Wellington by Aotea Quay turnoff ... next to the Interislander ferry terminal ... Wellington winter weather that I remember.

#719 ... Money on the street

The battle between a city for pedestrians and a network of roads for cars continues ... this time these guys on the street promoting cheap weekend parking in the city ... for when you drive in to shop and spend money. At least this venture probably provides part time work for students ... well there customer seems happy with the deal. Outside Kirbies Kandies, Lambton Square looking north up Lambton Quay. Midland Park is behind me over my right shoulder and Woodward St is behind and over my left shoulder.

#718 ... On any Friday

The kiwi Friday night ... generally take-aways for dinner .. this is Tan's Takeaways in Ngaio ... burgers, fish and chips for dinner tonight.

#717 ... Icons of Success

A random shot in the hustle and bustle of the happy graduation march down Lambton Quay ... a graduation gown, beautiful bouquet of flowers and the iconic "kiwi" mascot.

#716 ... Legal Lasi

This is another delightful graduate from University. Lasi has graduated with her law degree and now works for the Ministry of Justice. The single most significant aspect of the graduation ceremonies that I observed was the share joy and celebration of families who had one of their own achieve their goal. Lasi is Samoan and the beautiful real lei around her neck was made especially for this day by her friend. When I met her, outside the Michael Fowler Centre and took this photo she was with her mother (who wore a bright yellow lei)and her sister who were enjoying the occasion ... with plenty of smiles !!

#715 ... Whanau Celebrations

The first of the university graduation parades through the city started today ... there were lots of flowing gowns walking around the streets at mid-day. However this young lady who is obviously taking the event with an appropriate level of seriousness .. had a story to tell. Her gown with a maori pattern edging and delightful yellow feathers in the fur was made by her Aunty (middle) ... a pakeha! as she said. Her mother is Maori and her father Scandinavian .. I think that's right. The family name is Eggo which demonstrates this delightful mix .. and despite the serious face in the photo .. this was a delightful, chatty family out to have a great day of celebration.

#714 ... Foody Heaven

Cup cakes are making a comeback ... 50 years later !! Tamara Jane created Tempt to produce these delights. Tempt is situated in a petite display space at the edge of Smiths the Grocer in the Old Bank Arcade

#713 ... Windy Ladies

Wellington has been battered by strong winds ... gusting upto 130km/hr ... and this morning torrential rain. This was just after the rain stopped and the sun was struggling to come out from behind the clouds. These ladies were battling into the northerly wind, up Molesworth Street, with the regulation coffee in hand.

#712 ... Windy Wellington

A wire netting security fence ... not much to catch the wind here ... yet it still got blown down with the strong winds we have been having !!! Pipitea St, Thorndon. State Services Commission building on the left above the St Mary's College student ..

#711 ... Country comes to town

So that's where milk comes from!!. Two Friesian cows in the Civic Square next to the City Library ... all to the delight of these school pupils.
The 36 regional winners (representing 12 regions covering the country)converged on Wellington on Wednesday May 13 and spent a few days participating in activities and meeting with sponsors.

“We’ve created what we think is a fantastic few days of activities enabling the winners to meet politicians and see the city in a unique ‘Race to Base’ competition similar to the ‘Great Race’ TV programme.

“Some prize Holstein Friesian cows are also being brought into the city to be the live props in an event we’ve created to help people gain a better understanding about the process of milking cows.”

Ms Keeping says the ‘Great Meridian Milk Off’ involves a team of celebrities competing against some of the awards’ winners to hand milk a cow and then turn that milk into butter.

“It should be a lot of fun and create a real spectacle for people passing through Wellington’s Civic Square at lunchtime (on Friday May 15).”

#710 ... Sleeping Writer

A segment of the Writers' Walk around the edge of the harbour ... this particular piece is beside Te Papa. The photographer of intellectual relaxation being photographed.

Wellington Writers Walk
The Wellington Writers Walk is set in one of the world’s loveliest urban land-and-seascapes. It combines a stroll along Wellington’s waterfront with the discovery of sculptural quotations from New Zealand writers – like a series of intriguing pronouncements - often in surprising and unexpected places. The concrete plaques have been designed by the internationally renowned typographer Catherine Griffiths and the benchmarks, three of them seats, by well known architect Fiona Christeller. The walk celebrates and commemorates the place of Wellington in these writers’ lives, and their place in the life of Wellington.

The walk currently commemorates nineteen authors, both past and present, including poets, novelists, playwrights and writers of prose. Besides providing recognition to some of New Zealand’s top literary authors, the walk promotes New Zealand literature to a wider public, including tourists and visitors to the capital. International comedian and raconteur Billy Connolly featured it in his televised tour of New Zealand and it is listed in the Automobile Association’s One Hundred and One Things to Do in New Zealand.

The Plaques
Commissioned in 2002
Katherine Mansfield (novelist, short fiction writer)
James K Baxter (poet)
Robin Hyde (novelist, journalist)
Bill Manhire (poet, essayist)
Bruce Mason (playwright)
Patricia Grace (novelist, short fiction writer)
Maurice Gee (novelist)
Pat Lawlor (novelist, journalist)
Vincent O'Sullivan (poet, playwright, novelist)
Lauris Edmond (poet, biographer)
Denis Glover (poet)

Commissioned in 2004
Barbara Anderson (novelist, short fiction writer)
Alistair Te Ariki Campbell (poet)
Fiona Kidman (novelist, short fiction writer)
Eileen Duggan (poet)

The Benchmarks
Commissioned in 2006
Michael King (historian, essayist)
Marilyn Duckworth (novelist)
Sam Hunt (poet, raconteur)
Louis Johnson (poet, editor)

Quotations from the Plaques

I saw the Maori Jesus
walking on Wellington harbour.
He wore blue dungarees.
His beard and hair were long.
His breath smelt of mussels and paraoa.
When he smiled it looked like the dawn.
James K Baxter. From The Maori Jesus.

Yet I think, having used my words as the kings used gold,
ere we came by the rustling jest of the paper kings,
I who am overbold will be steadily bold,
in the counted tale of things.
Robin Hyde (Iris Guiver Wilkinson). From Words.

#709 ... Indian Delights

Last night my work team had one of those warming experiences that brings "smiles to the mind" ... and to the heart. Kalpana, a fellow (f) relationship manager invited us all to her home to share an authetic Indian meal ... wow what a feast .. however the coup de grace was "Gajar Halwa" what I would crudely call "cooked grated carrot" .. YEAH RIGHT.

This dish to us Pakehas would appear quite unusual, and maybe off putting ... HOWEVER if you are ever presented with such a dish ... YOU MUST TRY IT ... this is devine. The thought of carrots combined with the heavanly taste may do your head in ... but the dish is worth a second and maybe a third helping.

We had lots of laughs with great company ... a superb delightful interlude amongst the current chaos and drama of the world we live in ... THANK YOU KALPANA

RECIPE Gajar Halwa
carrots 6 (grated finely)
milk 3 cups
sugar 1 cup
mawa 1/2 cup (powdered milk)
khoya 3 tsp (ricotta cheese)
almonds 1/8 cup (chopped)
cardamoms 5 (skinned and crushed fine)
pistachios 2-3 (powdered)
ghee 1/4 cup (clarified butter)
raisins 1 tsp

Cook the carrots in the milk in an open pan on a low flame with constant stirring.
When the carrots are done, take them out and drain any excess milk.
Add the milk powder(mava), the ricotta cheese and the sugar to the carrots.
Heat the ghee in a frying pan, add the carrot mixture and keep on high flame until the carrot paste loses the milky texture and becomes golden brown and the sugar is totally dissolved.
Add the raisins, cardamoms, powdered pistas and the almonds.
Heat through and serve either hot or cold with cream on the side.

#708 ... A Green House

A green house in Ngaio ... YEAH RIGHT

#707 ... Nike Downunder

A view from Oreintal Bay of early morning clouds over the harbour ... like an upside down Nike swoosh .. especially for those downunder in the southern hemisphere ... YEAH RIGHT